Vehicle signal



Patented Mar. 25, 1924.

HILTON WOOLF, OI BAN FRANCISCO, CALIFOBNII IL.

VEHICLE BIGNAL.

Application fled December 6, 1920. Serial No. 428,296.

to provide means whereby the driver of a machine may automatically control the o p aced on a car without the necessity of removing his hands from the steering wheel of a machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide means in connection with the indicators to give an audible alarm with the displaying of the stop signal.

A still further object of this invention is to provide the direction indicators adjacent the license plate in order to hide from view the indicators when they are not in operative positions.

An additional object of this invention is to provide an indicator which is clearly visible both in day time and night time.

Another object of this invention is to provide an indicator of the above mentioned character which will be cheap to "manufacture, neat in appearance and relatively free from mechanical defects which often serve to make a signal inoperative.

Other objects and advantagesof ,this invention will be a parent during the course of the following escription:

In the; drawm s forming\ a art of this specification, an in whic lil e numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steering whee having my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 1s a top plan view of a contact carrying bloplr,

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 4;,

The principal object of this invention is ration of remote indicators or signals Figure 6 is a top plan view of a circuit selector block,

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6,

Fi re 8 is a perspective view of a contact mem r,

Figure 9 is a detail view of a clamping member,

Figure 10 is a side elevation of Figure 9. It is a well known fact that the majority of automobile direction indicators or signals now upon the market, are operated through controls which necessitate the operutor removing his hands from the. steering wheel'of the car at about the instant the chan e in direction is to beexccuted. This is a an erous practice and is to be avoided, if ossi le. By referring to Figure 1, it wil be noted that the controls of this signal are attached to the steering wheel and are adapted to be operated thereby. It is a further well known fact that many direction indicators serve the purpose of indicating directions in the day time, but at night time are useless. To overcome this objection, I

have rovided signals which, through medi- 0 an electric bulb and illuminoussigna'l arms, will indicate the change in direction at all hours. 1 A

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention. the numeral 5 designotes the steering post of an automobile, which is encased in a shell 6, which shell is rigidly attached to the car and remains stationary while the post 5 rotates with the steering wheel 7. At 8 and 9 I have shown two clamps, the construction of which is best shown in Figure ll and consist of two semicircular members 11 and 12 hinged at 13. These semi-circular members are attached to each other at 14 and are each provided with an arm 16. These arms each carry a screw 17, which screws term means of drawing these arms 16 towards each other. Screws 18 are sitioned at convenient points in the semi-circular members 11 and 12, the function of which is to retain blocks 19 and 21, which blocks are preferably made of insulation and in two halves, as shown in Figures 2 and 6;- these halves being jointed by means of dowel pins 22.

The block 21 is provided upon its face with the grooves 23 and 24,'the groove 23 being an inner groove and the groove 24 are in turn connected by a p 25, which ".esmre is formed by removing the material filtwcm the two grooves in such a manner that the ends of the material will he beveled, as shown at 26 and 27,

Sliding contact members of the and she shown in Figure 10, are ada to be hel in the grooves 23 and Man are indicated by the numerals 28 and 29. These sliding contact members extend from a. point substantially adjacent the pass 26 around the grooves about -two thirds o the way.

vBy refern'ng now to Figures 4 and 5 it will be .noted that slots 31 and 32 are cut throu h the undensurface ofthe block 21 bcnea the allow a bin mg post such as that indicated at 255 and 84 to extent; thgrelgirough, whicl; bin in posts serve t e on e purpose 0 formin gtermihals forwires 36 and 37, and at the same time form means whereby the contact members 28 and 29may be shifted as desired; 1

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, it will be noted that the block 19 is'constructed of two halveaheld together by dowels similar to the construction employed for the block 21. This block 19 has a slot 38 formed therein within which is positioned a sliding contact 39, which-contact carries a sprin 41 coiled-thereon and is further rovid with a s ring 42 extending lateral y there from and ads. ted to have its inner end 43 in contact wi the steering post 5.

The normal position of the contact 39 is such that when the two blocks 19 and 21 are placed about the steering column and post, osition within the contact 39 will take a the passage 25 between the and 27, and while in this retainin the block 21 77111 be attachedto veled ends 26 the she] 6, and the-clampcontaining the block 19 Wlll be attached to the post'5, the result being that theblock 21 will be held stationary while the block 19 carrying the movable contact 39 will rotate thereon. This rotation will cause the contact 39 to'come into contact with either the bevel end 26 or 27 and will cause the same to move into either groove 23 or 24, the result being that ves 23 and 24. These slots in one of said blocks and extendin position the clamp the contact will be established contacts 28 or 29. I

Should the operator start to make a maneuver to the left, the block 19 will be caused to rotate carrying the contact 39 into the with either groove 24 and thence into contact with the contact 28. As the contact 39 is'connected to the steering column 5, a circuit will be es tablished in the usual manner to any conplaced on a car, will operate continuously without effort upon the part of the o rater,- thereby relieving him of the manta strain and assuring him against for tfulness.

It is to be understood thutt e form of my invention herewith shown and described, is-

to be taken as a preierred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts ma be resorted to without departing from t e spirit oi the invention, or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my; invention, I i bl 1 Y I n an automo ie signa a stecringpost, a shellaround said post, blocks secured to said post and said shell, said blocks overlying one another,' concentric grooves formed tially around the face of the bloc one of said grooves being of shorter radius than. the other of said grooves, a passage connecting said grooves, adjustable movable contacts mounted within said grooves, and a radially sliding contact mounted in the other of said blocks, said contact being adapted to nor mally lay in said pas. and adapted to be moved into either of said concentric grooves for the purpose of contacting with one of said contacts.

In testimony whereof I afilx m signature.

' MILTON OOLF.

substan- 

